Following our recent feature City Brand Leaders – Glasgow, we interviewed a select group of leaders from Glasgow’s top agencies to help focus on the Glasgow brand and consider their own agency vision.

Creativebrief Founder & Chairman Tom Holmes talks to Donnie Kerrigan, Managing Director of Chunk.

TH: Donnie, what does the Glasgow brand stand for?

DK: On the whole I think of Glaswegians as modest and honest, but I think a brand should reflect a vision as much as existing values. I think we need a vision before we start on a brand. Is there one? I don’t know what it is.

TH: What are your views on the new slogan “People Make Glasgow” and the city’s marketing to date?

DK: It’s hard to criticise something that’s focused on people. I don’t like the way it’s designed to tack things on the end though; like ‘People Make Glasgow Creative’ or ‘People Make Glasgow Home’. I think that kind of approach is a cop out – as though you can’t decide what’s best, so you give a range of options or leave it for someone else to decide.

TH: How do you think Glasgow should position itself?

DK: I’d like an ambitious vision and a brand that commits to it. The London Olympic’s ‘Inspire a Generation’ slogan gave them something to aim for. People Make Glasgow is a bit of a vague statement rather than a call to arms. I’d like it better if it was ‘People; Make Glasgow’.

TH: Why should clients from outside of Scotland consider sourcing work from Glasgow agencies?

DK: I can’t put my finger on a great Glaswegian agency common denominator, so I don’t think geography is a reason to pick a Glaswegian agency. We’re focused on being as good as anyone in the world and people should pick us if we are.

TH: Are the city’s brand values reflected in your own agency culture?

DK: Aye. We’re definitely determined, honest and modest, but with immodest ambitions.

TH: What makes your own agency offer different?

TH: What sort of clients do you want to attract?

DK: Ambitious and big ones! We want to do amazingly well, which means doing amazingly well for our clients and requires clients who want to do amazingly well too. You need ambition and drive on both sides to succeed.

TH: What work makes you particularly proud and why?

DK: I’m always proud when the team pulls off something really innovative or that feels almost impossible. Our recent game for Channel 4 Education, Zeds, is a good example. It measures your sleep and then builds you a unique game from the data. We had the idea but had no experience of recording or analysing sleep, let alone making a game from it. Who does? But we did it.

TH: Which Glaswegian brands do you most admire?

DK: Loads will probably pop into my head after this, but I can hardly think of any. I’ll go with a bakery theme and say Mother’s Pride for their plain loaves and Morton’s for their rolls! And I admire Melle Cloche, my lovely wife’s wedding accessories shop.

TH: Are there any local marketers who have inspired you?

DK: We’re not really part of the Glasgow agency scene, so I don’t really know too many people; but I admire anyone who’s tried or trying to build something in the right way.

TH: What business would you most like to win?

DK: We’d love to create a smash-hit, multi-platform TV show – something amazingly interactive. For ourselves or for a brand, we don’t mind.

TH: Thanks Donnie.

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